Hand Carved
by Pierre990429
Summary: The two Eights finally meet. Eye of Jupiter. The Doppelgänger Encounter.


**Title**** : **Hand Carved  
**Author ****:** Pierre  
**Rating :** PG  
**Genre ****:** Drama  
**Word Count :** 1575  
**Spoilers :** Up to mid Season Three  
**Disclaimer :** nihil mihi  
**Multiple beta-testing & pertinent suggestions :** Mamaboo  
**A/N :** This was a difficult one.

**HAND CARVED  
**

Sharon was walking down the corridors of the battleship. She was at the rear of the little Cylon group, and was looking around her. Colonel Tigh was leading, and Baltar was behind, speaking with himself as he so often did. Marines enclosed the delegation. An embranchment appeared at the left, and as they passed by, she managed to keep her head straight and not look at the passage. Sharon didn't want to recall too many memories of her ancient life aboard this vessel. Instead, she suddenly became interested in examining the metallic walls, the white-blue lamps, and the projected light patterns on the ground. But she didn't lower her head for long, afraid to discover blood stains, even if she knew that they were far from the brig area and the stains were long since washed away. So much time had passed. And so many things had been done.

Too busy tricking herself with innocent thoughts like whether the atypical dust covering the stacked crates was significant or not, Sharon didn't immediately realize that they had reached their destination. A hatch was open at the end of the narrow hall. And_ she _was standing before it. Sharon knew that this would happen, sooner or later. She moved slowly forward and felt the rather hostile eyes scrutinize her. Apparently, _she_ drew a conclusion and told the XO to stop. Cavil asked a typically sarcastic question, giving Sharon the opportunity to make the last steps. She smiled. No, smirked. _It's you_. And then it happened.

_She_ turned towards the Colonel and referred to Sharon by her ancient callsign. _So that's it. _Sharon felt a bit disappointed. The one-eyed XO said something which shattered her carefully built mental barrier. For a moment, she had the impression that her right cheek was aching. She moved her tongue in her mouth and remained silent. Meanwhile, the Colonel made it clear that she was no longer considered a member of the delegation. And he used the_ word _when he gave an order to the marines_. She _didn't even react. Sharon looked at Three, hoping that she wouldn't allow this. But D'Anna said nothing and simply walked into the conference room, followed by the others, and left Sharon alone, rifles pointed at her.

A slight anger fell over Sharon. She examined_ her_. Athena, that was her callsign. A Human Goddess? In another life, Sharon knew someone, very close to her, who often protected her, and prayed to this divinity, using statuettes hidden in a locker. But this Athena was a Model Eight Cylon. Like Sharon was. Wearing a colonial uniform. Like Sharon once had. _Before_.

Boomer met Athena's eyes. _Look at me. You took my place. You know who I am, don't you? We share a lot of memories_. Sharon saw that _she_ was a bit uncomfortable and trying to evade her investigation. Sharon nodded imperceptibly. _Yes, you can blink_. This situation wasn't easy for her, either. Sharon wanted to say something, but changed her mind and her lips joined_. Hello, Sister. What now? _

They were just standing, separated by two meters, looking at each other. And Sharon had the impression that she had already been judged. _You are fast_. Adama was at the other side of the door, and she wouldn't see him. Because _she_ had warned the XO about her, and implied that she was a threat. Not that Sharon awaited much from a meeting with her former Commander. But being _here_ again, after all this time, and missing this occasion to speak with him, caused a burning pain in her chest. Sharon would be lying to herself if she pretended that she did not remember the day she got her wings. Adama gave them to her. The same shining wings that Athena was wearing now. _Does this uniform make you better than me? Is it some magical disguise to make them accept you?  
_  
Sharon expressed her thoughts. She saw Athena swallow before answering. Her response indicated that she really believed in the decisions she had taken, as Sharon had guessed. But it was the word she used in her second phrase that hurt Sharon. She lowered her head, swung on one foot and then on the other, hair locks dancing before her eyes, and tried to recover.

_Loyalty. What do you know about it? I was a loyal Colonial officer and a Raptor pilot. You said you made your choice. Well, I didn't have any. I sensed that something wasn't right with me. I tried to stop myself _– Sharon felt the coldness of the gun's cannon in her mouth – _before doing that horrible thing. But I couldn't. Instead, I shot a man who was like a father to me. And frakked up the life of another. I'm no longer sure whether I still care about their forgiveness or not. I saw Galen very briefly on New Cap, and we didn't even really speak about the past. I just hope that Jammer was able to do what I told him. He didn't seem surprised by my request, and would perhaps have done it anyway. Would you have forgiven Cally, Athena? What did they do to you? Have you forgiven them for all the things they did to you? Oh my God ..._

Sharon had said it. She saw Athena's face tense and then something flash in her eyes. Sharon knew what had happened to Athena. They had told her that her daughter was dead, and hidden the child somewhere in the Fleet. In the chaos following the New Caprica disaster that had destroyed Sharon's dream and opened her eyes about the impossibility for their two peoples living together, Hera was found and saved by Baltar. It had fallen on Sharon to take care of her on the Basestar. It wasn't easy, and she was exhausted. Moreover, the child, supposed to be so important since it was, according to Caprica, the first of God's New Generation, had recently fallen ill and cried incessantly. Sharon hadn't slept much for days and was nearly losing her mind.

Athena hesitated, but then she finally answered, the something that had flashed in her eyes now apparent in her voice. Athena didn't believe her – she believed the Humans over her own people – and tried to provoke her. Sharon didn't let herself get distracted and repeated herself.

It was as if she had punched her in the face. When Athena winced, slowly closing and opening her eyes again, Sharon recognized the something for what it was : pain. In the watery eyes and the trembling voice. _This wasn't my intention_. But now, she had to continue what she had begun. Speaking calmly, Sharon told Athena everything. As she arrived at the part involving the President and realized that her face reflected the amusement caused by the irony of the situation, Sharon felt ashamed of herself._ Forgive me, Sister. You see what they did to us?  
_  
Hearing the truth about her daughter was more than Athena could bear, because she reacted violently. Telling the marines, who were already threatening Sharon with their weapons and couldn't do more, to guard her, Athena made a quick move, like someone enduring pain wanting to flee the source of his suffering. Sharon suddenly had an inspiration : maybe she would be able to persuade her to rejoin them. Perhaps she had secretly hoped this since the beginning.

_Come with me, Sister. Sharon. Return to your daughter and your people. You don't belong with them. They did atrocious things to you, much worse than what I did to them. They did it intentionally, because you aren't like them. Surely they use these awful words when they speak about you.  
_  
Sharon blocked Athena's path and tried to explain her all this. But her Sister wouldn't listen to her. Athena went away, obviously distressed, first walking, then almost running. Sharon followed her with the eyes until Athena was hidden from her sight by the nearest corner.

_I told you the truth. I know you must have felt it. We are so close. Closer than me and Caprica, my only real friend. The one who gave me some hope back. I think she still believes in our frakked up dream. I don't anymore. I have lost too much. We are more than Sisters, Sharon. We have a common origin, but went our separate ways. Yes, I hated you once for stealing my life. Annihilated by so much unfairness. But I am beyond that, now. I sense that we both have a special destiny. Mine caught up with me, and made me pay such a high price. I spent days screaming in my Caprican apartment. Surrounded by meaningless and fossilized lies of my vanished past, who seemed to laugh at me. Then I met Six. She taught me how to accept who I was and where to find the strength to continue living. I rode through the pain, and even if it didn't disappear entirely, it became bearable. So I moved forward. I had to learn that we cannot choose who we are when we are born. But our actions define ourselves. We are like these Ithacan statuettes, Sharon. Hand carved._


End file.
